How Much Espresso?

The amount of coffee some people drink is absurd to me. As a Canadian University student, I see students and other adults standing in line ups that very well pass the entrance to the establishment at times as early eight or nine in the morning, just so they have the chance to get that drink they crave so much. What is worse about this is not only does it happen in the morning, when students are trying to get their day started, but it also happens in the afternoon when students are feeling drained from waking up so early in the morning, and it happens at night when they are trying to grind through the nights, cramming in study notes and putting in an effort to stay awake. The question is, how much caffeine from these drinks is too much for a day? Where does the line get drawn?

Researchers have shown that there are certain amounts of caffeine a person can consume without it showing negative effects, and there are results for both pregnant and non pregnant people. The everyday person should be able to get through about four hundred milligrams of caffeine without showing any negative signs, where as the pregnant women should only consume the half the amount in an effort to protect their babies. Personally, I would rather not consume anything that would harm my baby during that time period anyway.

The big deal about this caffeine consumption is not from sheer coffee alone, it is the espresso shots that researchers are worried about. In one shot of espresso, there are eighty milligrams of caffeine, so when someone asks for two shots of it in their coffee, that is already one hundred and sixty milligrams of caffeine, plus whatever is in the coffee itself. Then there are the other products out there that have caffeine that we do not even think about, such as energy drinks and coca cola. I hope that people realize that caffeine has a significant effect on their heart rate, and maybe that is why they feel so energized once they consume that coffee or monster energy drink. Sure, I agree that it is tough to measure and keep a running count on how much caffeine you have had throughout the day, but hopefully as news like this spreads, they become more aware of the extra espresso shot in coffee they have some days and how harmful it may actually be when they consider the amount of caffeine they have all day.

About Kerry Dennison

Kerry is a person who enjoys writing & storytelling. When he's not writing, you can either find him playing Mario Kart wii with his friends or spending time in the gym, as gaming and powerlifting are other hobbies of his.
Contact Kerry: kerry.dennison@youthindependent.com